Get free literacy resources & activities sent to your inbox!

Books to Celebrate Earth Day

There are so many great Earth Day books that have been published for children. It’s actually pretty exciting to see this topic covered so well. I’ve narrowed down a few of my top picks and hope that you will check them out with your young readers.

The town is being buried in trash. Careless citizens are throwing gum and soda bottles on the ground. One tidy man realizes he has the power to get rid of the trash and teaches the town a lesson. This is such a fun and silly book packed with a powerful environmental message.

Benson uses rhythmic verse to paint a portrait of appreciation for our earth at the top of each page. The subtext at the bottom of each page gives facts to introduce life and earth sciences. I love the last line, “This is our Earth to cherish and love. To clean and protect from below and above.”

In the garden that Jack built you will see and meet lots of plants and animals. Over the course of this cumulative book, you will watch his garden bloom. This is an excellent book for building vocabulary.

Wilson’s World by Edith Thacher Hurd and Clement Hurd might be a bit hard to find. Wilson sets out to paint a picture and create a story that he titles, “THIS IS WILSON”S WORLD”. As Wilson adds more and more to his picture he realizes that his “world” is quickly becoming polluted and crowded. So, he takes out a clean piece of paper and begins to create a world that he really wants to be a part of. He creates a world where everyone takes care of the environment.

A vacant lot sits in the middle of a city block. A young girl has an idea to turn the run-down lot into a green space. The story blossoms into a whole neighborhood coming together to create this beautiful space. At the end of this book are tips to starting your own community garden.

Get free literacy resources & activities sent to your inbox!

About Jodie Rodriguez

Jodie Rodriguez is a mom of two young boys and an early childhood/elementary educator with over 18 years of experience. Jodie's passion is helping parents, teachers, librarians and anyone else interested in nurturing our youngest readers.

Comments

What a lovely post and I have not read any of the wonderful books you shared. Dear Children of the Earth, I may have seen. But each was unique and offered a variety of perspectives. City Green is a great book to get kids involved, such a great way to teach service too. I’ve reviewed a number of Earth and Arbor Day books this year, and should have held onto at least one for this time period. Enjoyed your post.

These were some really great title to recommed. I saw a few favorites but am intrigued by a few more, particulary Dear Children of the Earth. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to reading them to myself and my class!